Trade Act of 1974

On June 2, 2026, the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) proposed tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (“Section 301”) on imports from 60 countries for their failure to enforce prohibitions related to forced labor. The USTR found that these failures are unreasonable and burden U.S. commerce. The proposed tariffs range from 10% to 12.5%, though they do contain several carveouts.

On September 6, 2023, the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced that it will extend 352 reinstated exclusions and 77 COVID-related exclusions to duties imposed on goods from China pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.  The USTR imposed Section 301 duties in four tranches or “lists,” and it established a process

Solar panels are once again in the news due to several recent developments.  Due to various trade remedy actions taken over the course of the past few years, solar panels are 45% more expensive in the United States than in Europe and Australia and 50% more expensive in the United States than the global average.